10 of the Best LGBTQ Plays and Musicals
The month of June is all about celebrating equality and love, and with that comes the importance of LGBTQ representation in pop culture. For decades, Broadway has been home to many plays and musicals that put LGBTQ issues at the core of their plots. These relatable protagonists have given voices to those in the community, often through powerful music and lyrics. (It was fitting, then, that the Tony Awards dedicated its 2016 ceremony to the lives lost or affected by the massacre in Orlando, Florida.) Here are 10 of the best LGBTQ plays and musicals that you definitely need to know.
GIF: Courtesy of GIPHY1/10Bare: A Pop Opera
Bare could easily be considered one of the most important musicals for our generation ... and it’s still somewhat of a hidden secret. This pop/rock musical tackles issues like bullying, stigmatization, rape culture, religion, sexism, and, of course, coming out. At its center, Bare is a love story of two teenage boys named Peter and Jason, who are attending a private religious high school. It's structured as a modern-day Romeo and Juliet, and its original 2004 release gained a cult following before it was revived off-Broadway in late 2012. Warning: You will need tissues when you listen to the cast recording, but you’ll also become obsessed with the songs, so it’s a fair deal.
GIF: Courtesy of GIPHY2/10Fun Home
Based on the graphic novel of the same name, Fun Home is an autobiographical account of the life of cartoonist Alison Bechdel. Fun Home can best be described as a “memory play” in that its non-linear plot pieces together various moments from Alison’s life, particularly focusing around her relationship with her gay father. It's also the first Broadway musical to feature a lesbian protagonist, and it does an amazing job of showing just how much our sexual identity is a part of us from childhood onward.
GIF: Courtesy of GIPHY3/10Angels In America
Tony Kushner’s Angels In America is often praised as the play that changed the national conversation about sexuality. If you decide to watch a full production of Angels in America, you’re in for a seven-hour experience, but one that is well worth every minute. It is a play that embraces many issues at once — including love, identity, sexuality, disease, death — and it asks many questions about the future. The main characters all struggle with figuring out who they are and what it means to stand by the person that you love. In addition to its universal characters, Angels serves as an important commentary on society; it shows how far we’ve come in terms of LGBTQ rights, but it also is a reminder of where we still have to go.
GIF: Courtesy of GIPHY4/10Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Hedwig and the Angry Inch has been a cult favorite among theatergoers since its off-Broadway opening in 1998, but it didn’t appear on Broadway proper until 2014. The title role of the transgender rock-n-roll singer has been played by stars such as Neil Patrick Harris, Andrew Rennells, Darren Criss, and Taye Diggs. Hedwig is a musical that tackles gender identity through a compelling protagonist’s story and a kickass soundtrack. The recent Broadway production also donated a portion of its proceeds to the Harvey Milk High School, a public NYC school designed for (but not limited to) at-risk queer youth.
GIF: Courtesy of GIPHY5/10The Normal Heart
Like Angels in America, The Normal Heart is a play that deals with the AIDS crisis of the 1980s. It is a mostly autobiographical account of the life of Larry Kramer, who helped create several AIDS-activism groups. After its success on Broadway, The Normal Heart was turned into an HBO film by Ryan Murphy — a.k.a. creator of Glee and American Horror Story. But The Normal Heart is more than just a play about AIDS; it deals with identity, love, and loss. In an interview with Murphy, Vogue reported that he believes that the play is as much about the past as it is about today.
GIF: Courtesy of GIPHY6/10The Color Purple
The musical adaptation of The Color Purple gives us a protagonist who is both bisexual and a woman of color. Celie, the main character, finds that she develops feelings for jazz singer Shrug, who was played by Jennifer Hudson in the 2015 Broadway revival. The Color Purple brings conversations of race and sexuality to the spotlight — two important issues that are not always talked about in the same context, but should be. The Color Purple added a new layer of diversity and identity to the Broadway stage. (Cynthia Erivo won Best Actress in a Leading Role at the 2016 Tonys for her portrayal of Celie.)
GIF: Courtesy of GIPHY7/10Kinky Boots
Kinky Boots is best known as the musical written by Cyndi Lauper. The story focuses on a man named Charlie Price who inherits a shoe factory from his father. In order to save the business, he forms a partnership with a cabaret performer and drag queen named Lola, and together they aim to produce a line of high-heeled boots. Charlie and Lola, while at first seem to be nothing alike, learn that they have much more in common and aren’t so different from one another at all. It’s also worth pointing out that Cyndi Lauper has been a long-time LGBTQ ally and activist and she works with the True Colors Fund to help end LGBTQ youth homelessness.
GIF: Courtesy of GIPHY8/10A New Brain
A New Brain, written by William Finn and James Lapine, is a semi-autobiographical account of Finn’s struggle with arteriovenous malformation (AVM), which is a disorder that creates an abnormal connection between arteries and veins. In the musical, the protagonist Gordon is also diagnosed with AVM. Gordon is a musician and he worries, much like Finn himself did, that he might die without producing his greatest work. Gordon’s boyfriend Roger stands by him during his surgery. A New Brain has some of the most beautiful music that you will not be able to get out of your head, and you really haven’t lived until you’ve heard Jonathan Groff sing “I’d Rather Be Sailing.”
GIF: Courtesy of GIPHY9/10The Boy From Oz
Based on the life of singer/songwriter Peter Allen, The Boy From Oz is an account of identity, sexuality, friendship, and loss. After singing in local bars to make money, Peter meets Judy Garland and becomes her protegé. Peter later falls in love with Judy’s daughter, Liza Minnelli, but he later comes to terms with his sexuality, embracing the fact that he is gay. Despite the old Hollywood backdrop, The Boy From Oz can easily be interpreted as a modern-day reminder of allowing your true self to shine.
GIF: Courtesy of GIPHY10/10RENT
It would be impossible to write about musicals that put LGBTQ issues at their center without including RENT. As the winner of both the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize, RENT was — and still is — an important musical in the LGBTQ conversation. RENT contains characters that identify as a variety of sexualities and genders, and also offers up the notion that both sexuality and gender can be entirely fluid. RENT is a timeless musical, and always serves as a reminder to “measure our life in love” and embrace today.
